All that have spiritual life, labour to be waking Christians and then watching Christians. That which usually awakens is the noise of a trumpet, or some shining light. Now, living in the light of the gospel, and under the sound thereof, this should awaken us ; if not this, the noise of the judgments round about us should. If ever we will be waking Christians, now is the time. And it is not enough that we be waking, but watchful Christians.
What is the difference between men, but that carnal men are sleepers, and spiritual men are waking ? And what is the difference of Christians that are good, and that are not ? The one is a watchful Christian, and the other not so. Wherein is one better than another ? As the one is more careful to avoid sin than another. A weak Christian being watchful is better than a strong that is not so. See the difierence between David and Joseph. Joseph was a servant tempted to folly, yet in the midst of his youth he avoided the temptation. David was a grown man, a holy man, a man of many experiences of God's mercies ; yet you see with how small a temptation he was overtaken, because he was not watchful. So that thus Christians differ from themselves and others, as they are more or less watchful.
To come therefore to some directions how to carry ourselves, and among others remember this : we should have this waking and watchful considera.
808 THE COMING OF CHRIST.
tion, that wo havo a soul immortal, and that we are for eternity; and what- ever we do in the flesh, that shall bo ever with us; and how that shortly we are going to the tribunal seat. In all these respects we should labour to be watchful at all times, because that time in which we take liberty to ourselves may be the time of our surprisal. We should therefore watch at all times, in prosperity and adversity. We should watch against all the sins of our persons, and the sins of the state we are in.
Moreover, we are not Christians indeed but when we are waking and watchful Christians, and we never live indeed but when we are watchful; neither can we give so good an account of our time.
Besides, if we use this course, we shall bring our souls to that awe as that they shall not dare to oftend God, by reason they must come to be examined. And how will our souls be willing to be judged before Christ, when we are unwilling to set ourselves before ourselves ? If we use this, it will bring a holy awe upon our souls, because they know they must come to examination for every sin.
But mark what follows : * Blessed is he that watches and keeps his gar- ments close, lest he walk naked.'
Watchfulness is for action; as ' Watch unto prayer,' Mat. xxvi. 41, and ' Watch unto thanksgiving,' 1 Peter iv. 7 ; as he saith here, * Watch to the keeping of your garments close.' Now, this keeping of our garments close, is somewhat alluding to the ceremonial law ; as if their garments were spotted, or as if they had touched some unclean body.
By garments here is meant, first, the keeping Christ close to the soul, and together with Christ all that is in him ; for as a Christian is clothed with Christ, so also with his satisfaction, obedience, and righteousness, for Christ is given of God. Let us therefore keep our garments close ; and not only so, but apply Christ for our sanctification. Put on the Spirit of Christ, and keep the soul in a holy frame. And keep not only the righteousness of Christ, but the holiness of Christ ; and put on Christ, with the expression of his life in our life and conversation ; as we are said to put on a man, when we express him in our life and conversation. And then keep Christ with his obedience, and keep him with his Spirit, with a holy desire to express him, keep all things close; and with Christ all the good we have by him, by using all means. Keep truth and our profes- sion ; keep the obedience of Christ and the graces of Christ ; keep the Spirit of Christ and the truth of God, whereby all good is conveyed, and the profession of that truth keep unspotted. The danger is, * lest you walk naked, and you be ashamed.'
You know sin and shame came in together. Adam was not ashamed of his nakedness till he saw it, and then he was loathsome to himself when his conscience was awakened ; so it is sin that makes us ashamed. There- fore ' keep your garments close.' To come to that I mean to speak on, the words being clear,
1. First, Know ice have no (jarments of our own. No man is born clothed ; but God gives him wisdom to make use of all creatures for ornament for him, notwithstanding we are born naked.
Now, it is thus in spiritual things. We have no garments of our own since the fall ; but before we had. We have none now but original corrup- tion, that spreads over the soul. Besides that, men living unto years have another nature worse than the leprosy, custom. Here is all the clothing we have of ourselves ; but for any spiritual good, we must fetch it from Christ. Since the fall we must have all our garments out of another